NCAA Div. I Women: SMU Continues to Roll on Second Day of WAC Champs

SAN ANTONIO, Feb. 28. FOR the sixth year straight the No. 8 SMU women's swimming & diving team is positioning itself for a WAC title. Taking three events on the second night of competition, the Mustangs lead the team standing with 288 points.

The first three medals of the evening went to SMU, as the Ponies swept the 500 yard freestyle event. 2001 WAC Freshman of the Year Georgina Lee won gold, breaking her old WAC record set last season of 4:43.89, with a time of 4:40.24. Lee's time also set a new school record on the hilltop in the event beating Sandra Cam's old mark by over three seconds (4:43.40). Freshman teammate Flavia Rigamonti touched the all in second at 4:41.27. Lotta Wanberg rounded out the top three finishing at 4:47.12.

SMU's Alenka Kejzar took the second Mustang gold of the evening winning the 200 yard I.M. with a time of 1:56.81, three seconds better than her previous top time this season. Lauren Hill of Rice took the silver, coming in at 2:03.39 just ahead of Nevada's Leticia Cunha who took third with a time of 2:04.08.

Rice's Mandy Mularz took top honors in the fastest event of the night, the 50 yard freestyle. In doing so, she broke Colorado State's Amy Van Dyken's
eight-year meet record of 22.57, coming in at 22.55. Taking second in the event was Kathy Echiverri of Nevada with a time of 23.46, while SMU's Lisa Wanberg placed third with a 23.31 mark.

In the one-meter diving finals, Nevada's Kate Oiness took the gold, scoring 272.60 points. In second was Hawai`i's Maggie Roberts with 267.55, followed by Christine Bulmer of Nevada with 254.35 points.

Rounding out the evening was the 200 yard freestyle relay. SMU's team of Kejzar, Li. Wanberg, Dallas Marshall, and Anu Koivisto edged out Nevada in a close race. SMU finished with a time of 1:32.95, just ahead of Nevada at 1:33.74. Rice was third in 1:34.22.

Through two days of competition SMU still leads with a total of 280 points. Nevada is second with 261, followed by Rice with 97. Fresno State is fourth with 165, while Hawai`i is fifth (153) and San Jose State rounds out the field with 134 points.